MARADMIN 499/26
FISCAL YEAR 2027 ACTIVE RESERVE ALIGNMENT PLAN
R 150930Z OCT 26 MARADMIN 499/26 MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA RA// SUBJ/FISCAL YEAR 2027 ACTIVE RESERVE ALIGNMENT PLAN// REF/A/MSGID: DOC/CMC/YMD: 20200626// REF/B/MSGID: DOC/CMC/YMD: 20251219// REF/C/MSGID: DOC/CMC/YMD: 20190215// NARR/REF (A) IS MCO 1040R.31, MARINE CORPS RESERVE ENLISTED RETENTION AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. REF (B) IS FISCAL YEAR 2027 RESERVE RETENTION CAMPAIGN. REF (C) IS MCO 1001.52K, MANAGEMENT OF THE ACTIVE RESERVE SUPPORT TO THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RESERVE.// POC/A. J. WALLACE/LTCOL/RA (RAM) (AVIATION OFFICER MONITOR)/TEL: (703) 784-0531/EMAIL: [email protected]// POC/S. K. HERLIHY/MAJ/RA (RAM) (MAJ & BELOW GROUND MONITOR)/TEL: (703) 784-9149/EMAIL: [email protected]// POC/J. D. CIUFERRI/MAJ/RA (RAC) (RAC-3 RETENTION OFFICER IN CHARGE)/ TEL: (703) 784-9669/EMAIL: [email protected]// POC/W. R. MALEY/MGYSGT/RA (RAM) (SEL)/TEL: (703) 432-9411/EMAIL: [email protected]// POC/C. J. HOFFNER/MSGT/RA (RAM) (0111 MONITOR)/TEL: (703) 432-9411/EMAIL: [email protected]// POC/T. M. GATES/MSGT/RA (RAM) (0200-2100 MONITOR)/TEL: (703) 784-0526/EMAIL: [email protected]// POC/J. SANDOVAL/MSGT/RA (RAM) (3000-5700/8014 MONITOR)/TEL: (703) 784-0528/EMAIL: [email protected]// POC/J. B. DERINGTON/MSGT/RA (RAM) (6000-7000 MONITOR)/TEL: (703) 784-0527/EMAIL: [email protected]// POC/H. N. WATTS/SSGT/RA (RAC) (AR RETENTION CHIEF)/TEL: (703) 784-9664/EMAIL: [email protected]// GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. This message announces the commencement of the Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) Active Reserve (AR) Alignment Plan (ARAP). Effective upon publication of this MARADMIN, the submission period commences. The purpose of the ARAP is to balance the AR enlisted career force inventory by grade and military occupational specialty (MOS) while retaining the Marine Corps’ highest-quality Marines to meet current and future mission requirements. AR Marines are encouraged to contact their unit career counselor for guidance regarding eligibility, requirements, and compliance with the provisions of this MARADMIN. The FY27 ARAP applies to all AR Marines with an End of Active Service (EAS) during FY27. 2. Background. The AR Program provides full-time active-duty support to facilitate the integration of the Marine Corps Reserve within the Total Force. AR Marines organize, administer, train, recruit, retain, and develop policies that ensure the readiness and mobilization capability of the Reserve Component. Maintaining a highly qualified AR force is essential to meeting current and future operational requirements. Accordingly, commanders shall remain actively engaged in retention efforts to identify and retain the Marine Corps’ highest-quality Marines. 3. Execution 3.a. Submission Requirements. This MARADMIN applies to Active Reserve (AR) Marines who are career-designated and non-career- designated and who have an EAS between 1 October 2026 and 30 September 2027. Marines shall submit a Reserve Reenlistment Extension Lateral Move (RRELM) request via the Total Force Retention System (TFRS) no later than 31 January 2027. All retention requests shall be submitted to Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC) Reserve Affairs (RA) through TFRS. Marines requiring a Commanding General endorsement shall include the endorsement with the initial TFRS submission. Marines must meet the service limitation requirements contained in reference (a). 3.b. Commander’s Recommendation. The commander’s recommendation is a critical component of the retention process. Commanders and unit senior enlisted leaders shall provide objective, substantive comments addressing each Marine’s character, leadership, technical proficiency, and potential for continued service. Meaningful recommendations are essential to informed retention decisions and the continued strength of the AR force. 3.c. Interviews. Per reference (a), commanding officers and career counselors will conduct interviews with 100 percent of Marines identified within their FY27 ARAP cohort using the ARAP Interview in the TFRS Interview Management Module and within the prescribed due dates. In addition to the interview requirements contained in reference (a), career counselors will capture and document each Marine's intent to request further service or separate from the AR Program. 3.c.1. Intent to Reenlist. Upon completion of the interview, career counselors will coordinate with the unit administrative section to record the reenlistment intent in the Marine Corps Total Force System (MCTFS) for AR Marines identified within the ARAP cohort. This requirement applies only to Marines within the designated ARAP cohort. The reenlistment intent must be recorded no later than 1 December 2026 using the following diary transaction: TTC Purpose Diary Value 788 000 RER FLAG Intent to Reenlist Y 788 000 RER FLAG Does Not Intend to Reenlist N 3.c.2. Diary Entry. The applicable MCTFS diary entry is required before submitting a retention request in TFRS. Requests submitted without the required diary entry will be returned as Pending Additional Information until the appropriate code is reflected in MCTFS. Reserve Affairs Manpower Management Branch (RAM-2) will use these diary entries to monitor reenlistment intent and assess the FY27 AR retention cohort in support of inventory management and force alignment decisions. 3.c.3. Exception. Reenlistment requests routed to HQMC RA on or before 1 December 2026 are exempt from the requirement in paragraph 3.c.2. to report reenlistment intent in MCTFS prior to submission. 3.d. Failure to Submit. Marines who do not submit a request for further service by the applicable submission deadline will be considered to have elected to separate from the AR Program or retire upon completion of their current contractual obligation. This provision does not apply to Marines who are unable to submit due to circumstances beyond their control, including enlisted career force controls (ECFCs), medical limitations, or legal matters. Marines who otherwise meet all reenlistment eligibility requirements but fail to submit by the submission deadline must include an endorsement, with justification for the late submission, from the first O-6 commander in their chain of command. 3.e. Conditional Release. AR Marines with an EAS during FY27 who wish to transfer to the Active Component, apply for an Active Component officer program, or conduct an inter-service transfer may submit a request for conditional release from the AR Program effective upon release of this MARADMIN through 31 January 2027. The effective date of release will be determined by RAM based on the needs of the Service. Contract extensions beyond 30 September 2027 will not be authorized for the purpose of processing or completing a request for conditional release from the AR Program. 3.f. Local Command Authority (LCA) Extensions. Commands are authorized to approve LCA extensions beginning upon release of this MARADMIN. Marines may be extended, not to exceed 31 May 2027, to facilitate reenlistment under this campaign. Career counselors will process these extensions in TFRS using the Reserve LCA RRELM type. The associated NAVMC 321A will cite the TFRS reference number and state: “To await a response to a submitted FY27 ARAP retention request.” The LCA procedures contained in this MARADMIN apply only to AR Marines who fall within the FY27 ARAP cohort and supersede the LCA guidance contained in the FY27 Reserve Retention Campaign in reference (b). 4. Early Reenlistment Authority. Marines with an End of Current Contract (ECC) between 1 October 2026 and 30 September 2027 whose EAS extends beyond 30 September 2027 may voluntarily submit for early reenlistment in accordance with this MARADMIN. To maintain the FY27 ARAP cohort while ensuring the highest-quality Marines are retained on the AR Program, RAM-2 may approve early reenlistments for these Marines to obtain the required obligated service for permanent change of station orders (PCSO), Transfer of Education Benefits (TEB), Special Duty Assignment (SDA), and promotion selections. 5. Processing Timeline. All FY27 ARAP RRELMs submitted in accordance with this MARADMIN will be adjudicated by RAM-2 no later than 31 March 2027. 6. Acceptance of Approved RRELMs. Marines must accept or decline approved RRELMs in TFRS within 30 days of notification. Failure to respond within 30 days may result in revocation of the approval unless coordinated with the assigned monitor. Approval authority for enlistment extensions, other than the LCA extensions authorized above, resides with RAM-2. 7. Applicability. This MARADMIN is applicable only to Active Reserve. 8. Release authorized by Brigadier General G. Rosales Jr., Director, Reserve Affairs Division.//